6-9-17...Today was one of those heaven or hell days.  I got a call about 8:00 AM from Brad Hvolbeck, another Nichols college buddy.  We played football and lacrosse together and also went on the first Nichols College summer European studies tour together.  Anyway we set up a meet in Greenwich for 10:00 AM at the Delamar Hotel restaurant.  It's funny, when you haven't seen your friends for a long time you expect them to show up looking just the way they did so I was expecting to see Brad in his burgundy MGA that very rarely ran without a lot of help and wearing his Catholic Charities overcoat.  So he shows up in his Mercedes, impeccably dressed but he was quick to let me know that his dress and demeanor was not for me.  Later in the day he had an appointment with a Chinese gentleman to sell him a multi-million dollar home.  As soon as we sat down for some coffee he became the same good natured, fun and friendly Brad Hvolbeck that I knew in Conant Hall.  I was expecting that he might have some very smelly cheese that he might attempt to secrete in the radiator of my motorcycle as someone did during my absence from Conant for a holiday many years previously.  We had a great time reminiscing and I got him to promise to attend our 55th reunion.  Brad walked out to check out my bike and we took some pictures.

All to soon it was time for me to hit the road for my next stop which is Barnegat Bay NJ and an old flying buddy, John "SHINDOG" Shinnick.  John and I are not only Marine brothers, we are brother brothers.  We started out in the Marine Corps together and over the years were stationed together.  Our kids knew each other and we are just very close.  But I digress, first I had to get there and it was the ride from hell.  You've all read about my experiences in the rain but today beats all.  I rode from Fairfield to Greenwich CT at 9:00.  Traffic was a little heavy but no problem.  I left Greenwich and traffic was light but then five miles from the George Washington Bridge traffic ground to a halt and it was 1hr, & 45 min to cross the bridge.  Shortly after the bridge there was another 30 minute jam.  Then when I got to the Garden State Parkway there was an accident and we were in bumper-to-bumper for another 45 minutes.
I am adding NJ to the list of states I will never again visit.  Not only the traffic but every toll booth they charge me triple what a car pays.  I've asked numerous times because with the trailer, my bike is not as big as a car but they say they count axels.  The NJ roads are in such bad shape the state ought to be paying you to ride on their roads.  I am sending the NJ Dept. of Transportation my next chiropractic bill.
Good night Gov. Christy.  May your fat body jiggle to little pieces that get expelled from you Governor's limo and fill some of the potholes on your less than adequate roads.
Good night to y'all.